Ink-well.



Patented Dot. 8, I90I.

. W. H. SIDENSTHICKER.

INK WELL.

(Application med Nov. 16, 1900A (No llodel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM HENRY SIDENSTRICKER, OF MOBERLY, MISSOURI.

INK-WELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 684,320, dated October8, 1901.

Application led November 16, 1900. Serial No. 36,735. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM HENRY SIDEN- STRICKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Moberly, in the county of Randolph and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Ink-Well, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention relates to that class of ink- Wells which comprehend areservoir and a comparatively small dip-well designed to be suppliedWith a small quantity of ink from the reservoir from time to time inorderV to prevent the exposure and consequent evaporation of anyconsiderable portion of the fluid. In this class of devices it is commonto provide means for forcing the ink from the reservoir into thedip-well through a supplyopening adjacent to the upper end of thelatter, and as a consequence the ink exposed therein evaporates andleaves a thick deposit, which not only renders the Well unfit for use,but frequently clogs the supply-opening and prevents the replenishin gof the dip-Well from the reservoir.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a device of thischaracter with means for filling the dip-Well from the reservoir and forpermitting the unused ink Within the dip- Well to be returned to thereservoir, and thus protect it from evaporation When the Well is not inuse.

A further object of the invention is to combine in an ink-Well of thischaracter a device for forcing the ink from the reservoir to theink-Well and means for controllingthe return of the unused ink, so thatWhile the latter is prevented from flowing back to the reservoir duringthe useof the dip-Well it may be compelled to do so when there is nofurther necessity for its use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the refillingof the reservoir through the medium of the dip-well without necessityfor removing the cap of the reservoir, which in the preferred form of myinvention serves as a support for the dip-Well and auxiliary devices. v

To the accomplishment of the objects stated and others subordinatethereto, as Will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts herein described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of the preferred form ofmy ink-Well complete. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe dip-Well and the short leg of the Siphon. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional vieW through the siphon. Fig. .4t is a detail view of theSiphon-valve, and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of another form of myinvention.

Referring to the numerals employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout the views, l indicates a receptacle or reservoir, of anydesired shape, size, and material, provided With a neck 2, upon which isscrewed a metal cap 3, provided With a gasket 3', designed to effect theair-tight closure of the reservoir to protect the ink therein fromevaporation. Upon the cap 3 is supported in any suitable manneradip-Well 4i of a size suitable for the reception of such quantity ofink as may serve for immediate use, the form and dimensions of this wellbeing susceptible of Wide variation iu adapting the device for -variouspurposes orindividual tastes. The dip- Well 4c is designed to be filledfrom the reservoir through a siphon 5, having its long leg 6 passedthrough the cap 3 and extended to a point adjacent to the bottom of thereservoir. The upper end orbend of the siphon is located adjacent to thetop of the dip-Well, and its short leg 7 is disposed in close contactwith the Wall of the Well and extends from the bend to the cap 3, Whereit terminates, as shown in Fig. l. Adjacent to the end of its short legthe siphon is pierced by atransverse port 8, extending through the wallof the dip- Well immediately above its bottom in order to establishcommunication between the Well and reservoir through the siphon.

Extending above the cap 3 to one side of the Well et I provide a nipple9, pierced by a small opening l0 and serving as a means of attachmentfor a rubber bulb 1l, the mouth of which is drawn over the nipple andWhich is provided in its dome with a minute opening 12. The opening 10obviously permits air to pass from the reservoir through the bulb 11.

IOO

The construction thus far described coml prehends a complete embodimentof my invention in its broadest aspect, because it will be observed thatby compressing the bulb 11 air will be forced into the reservoir abovethe ink and the latterbeing subjected to pressure will pass through thesiphon and will escape into the well 4L through the port 8. As a llingdevice for the well this construction Without addition would not beeffective, because it will be noted that upon the release of the bulb 11the excess of air would be permitted to escape and the liquid within thewell 4 will iow back into the reservoir under siphonic action. It isthis peculiarity which renders the reservoir capable of being filledWithout removing the screw-cap 3, as it is evident that as the liquid ispoured into the dip-well it will be siphoned into the reservoir. Theprovision of the siphon and bulb thus enables me to compel the ink toflow from the reservoir into the Well or from the Well back into thereservoir,`and this action is exceedingly useful for the purpose ofkeeping the ink duct or channel-to wit, the Siphon-perfectly clear andfree from such sediment as would otherwise decrease the eectiveness ofthe device.

Ve have seen that with a closed siphon it will be impossible to maintainthe liquidlevel within the dip-well 4 unless the bulb 11 is held in itscollapsed position. It therefore becomes necessary to provide means formaking and breaking the siphon in order that it may be used to returnthe ink from the well lor may be rendered inactive during such time asthe well is in use. This end I accomplish by providing what I shall terman overflow-port 13, piercing the short leg of the Siphon and the wallof the dip-well at such ,distance above the bottom of the well as willinsure a proper depth of ink therein. Obviously when this port is openthe Siphon Will be broken and, While any ink within the well et whichmay be above the port 13 will flow back into the reservoir, theliquid-level will be maintained in the horizontal plane of this port,because the siphonic action will be interrupted and the ink will beprevented from escaping through the lower port S. As this ,l port 13 isclosed or opened the siphonwill be 'complete or broken, and I thereforeprovide asiphon-valve 14, carried at the end of a reduced shank 15,inserted inthe upper end of the short leg 7 of the siphon and providedwith a cap 16, from which extends an indicator 17, designed to indicatethe position of the valve. An air-tight connection around the shank 15of the valve at a point above the port 13 is insured by a rubber gasket18, surrounding the shank immediately under the cap and fitting closelywithin the siphon. It will now appear that as the valve 14 is swungopposite the port 13 the siphon will be closed and that siphonic actionmay be inaugurated by pressing the bulb 11 to expel the air from thesiphon. On the contrary, when the valve is open the siphon will beine'icient and a proper quantity of ink will be thus obviated.

retained within the dip-Well. Ifdesired, the upperend of the long leg 6of the siphon may be closed by a removable plug 19 to facilitate thecleaning of the ink-duct whenever it may be desirable. The operation ofthis form of the invention is as follows: Supposing it is desired torefill the reservoir, the Y bulb 11 is compressed for the purpose offorcing sufficient liquid through the siphon to expel the air.

The ink is then poured into Y the dip-well, the bulb 11 is released, andif the ink is now poured continuously into the well 4 it will besiphoned into the reservoir until the latter is' refilled, it beingobserved that necessity for the removal of the cap 3 is- If now it isdesired to use,`

the dipwvell, the Siphon-valve is turned toits open position and thedip-well islled by pressing the bulb 11, immediately upon the release ofwhich latter the level of the ink will drop to the port 13, whichconstitutes anVV overflow-port and permits any excess of fluid to flowback through the ink-duct to the interior of the reservoir. Assumingthat there is no further need for the ink in the Well, theY Y valve isturned to its closed position to reestablish the siphon, the bulb iscompressed to Y expel the air and create siphonic action, and,

as will be evident, the contents of the dip- Y Well will be quicklysiphoned into the reservoir and protected froml evaporation untilA Y'used.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a variation of the construction shown anddescribed,this variation consisting in the elimination of the ICO 'Ysiphon and in the substitution of a filling-YY tube 20, closed at itsupper end by a plug 21 and pierced by lateral ports 22 and 23,coincident with the ports 8 and 13 through the wall of the dip-well. Theport S is closed in this form of the invention bya controlling` valve24, provided with a handle 25, exposed upon the exterior of theivell anddesigned to close the port 8 for the purpose of preventing the inkwithin the dip-well from flowing back into the reservoir until suchreturn isdesired.

It will be noted that in both forms of the Iglo invention communicationis established be- Y tween an ink duct or tube and the dip-Well,Y at thetop and bottom of the latter and thatn said tube or duct extends intothe reservoir. In the first form of the invention the tube iscomprehended by the siphon 5, comprising the long and short legs 6 and7, and inthe other form of the invention by the tube 20. In drawing thesubjoined claims I shall recite a tube extending into the reservoir andcommunicating with a dip-well at a plurality of points, and by this termI desire to be under stood as meaning either a branched siphonic Y tube,such as is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, or a straight tube, asillustrated in Fig. 5. It will alsoV be observed that in both forms ofthe invention I have provided means for controlling the communicationbetween the reservoir and the bottom of the dip-well. In

the rst form of my invention this means is embodied in the Siphon-valvel5, and it is evident that when this valve is opened the siphonic actionis broken and there can be no communication between the bottom of thedip-Well and the reservoir. In the second form of the invention(illustrated in Fig. 5) this means is embodied in the valve 24, whichnot only controls the communication between the reservoir and the bottomof the dip-Well7 but is also located at the bottom of the Well.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have produced a Simple andeffective ink- Well embodying the construction best calculated to effectthe accomplishment of the several objects stated; but While the presentembodiment of my invention appears at this time to be preferable Idesire to reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, andvariations thereof aS may be clearly comprehended Within the scope ofthe protection prayed.

l. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir, and a dip-Well having its bottomdisposed higher than the bottom of the reservoir, and means forestablishing communication between the reservoir and dip-Well at pointsadjacent to the top and bottom of the latter, Wherebv the iiuid ispermitted to flow from the dip-Well to the reservoir.

2. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir, a superposed dip-Wellcommunicating at points adjacent to its top and bottom with thereservoir, and means controlling the communication at one of Said pointsto permit or prevent the escape of iiuid to the reservoir from the pointadjacent to the bottom of the dip- Well.

3. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir, a Superposed dip-Wellcommunicating at points adjacent to its top and bottom with thereservoir, means controlling the communication at the bottom of the Wellto permit ory prevent the escape of iiuid to the reservoir, and meansfor forcing the fluid into the Well from the reservoir.

4. Anink-Well comprising a reservoir, a dip-Well, a tube communicatingwith the res ervoir and communicating with the dip-Well at a pluralityof points, and means for preventing the fluid Within the Well fromiiowing into the tubeat one of the points of communication.

5. An ink-well comprising a reservoir, a dip-Well, a tube extending intothe reservoir and communicating with the di p-Well at points at oradjacent to the top and bottom of the latter, and a valve controllingthe escape of fluid into the tube from the bottom of the Well.

Superposed dip-Well and a Siphon establishing communication between theWell and reservoir.

7. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir, a Superposed dip-Well and anintermediate siphon, and mechanism for setting up or terminating theSiphonic action at will.

8. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir, a superposed ink-Well, anintermediate Siphon, mechanism for setting up or terminating thesiphonic action at will, and means for forcing fluid from the reservoirinto the Well through the Siphon.

9. An ink-well comprising a reservoir, a superposed dip-Well, a Siphonhaving its long leg extended into the reservoir and its Short leg incommunication with the bottom of the well, a port piercing the Wall ofthe well above its bottom and communicating with the Si phon at a pointintermediate of its ends, and a valve controlling said port to completethe Siphon and empty the Well, or to break the Siphon and establishcommunication with the Well at an elevated point for the return iiuidabove a predetermined level.

l0. An ink-Well comprising a reservoir provided with a cap, a dip-Wellmounted upon the cap, a Siphon piercing the cap and communicating withthe reservoir and dip-well, respectively, an apertured nipple upstandingfrom said cap, and an apertured bulb re tained upon the nipple.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo witnesses.

WILLIAH HENRY SIDENSTRICKER-i Witnesses:

En J. WHEELER, SCHUYLER C. LEEDOM.

6. An ink-well comprising a reservoir, a

